Department for Transport

Railways: Sexual Offences

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many sexual assaults on trains there have been in the last 12 months.

Claire Perry: In the period 1 November 2014 to 31 October 2015 there were a total of 754 reported sexual assaults on trains, and 3 reported rapes. It is likely that the levels reported are at least in part a result of various initiatives by the British Transport Police (BTP) to raise awareness and encourage more reporting of sexual offences, including various specific campaigns such as Project Guardian which encourages victims to report inappropriate sexual behaviour. Further detail on the range of actions being taken by the BTP to reduce sexual offences can be found at http://www.btp.police.uk/advice_and_info/how_we_tackle_crime/sexual_offences.aspx.

Home Office

Offences against Children

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government plans to take to (a) tackle sexual abuse and sexual crime involving 16 and 17 year olds and (b) better educate young people about sexual abuse.

Karen Bradley: Tackling child sexual abuse and exploitation is a top priority for this Government. In March 2015 we launched the “Tackling CSE” report and prioritised child sexual abuse as a national threat in the Strategic Policing Requirement, setting a clear expectation on police forces to collaborate across force boundaries, to safeguard children, to share intelligence and to share best practice.Our “This is Abuse” campaign has sent clear messages to prevent young people becoming victims or perpetrators of sexual violence by helping teenagers to recognise and understand sexual abuse. It also signposts them to appropriate support including specialist services, counselling, Independent Sexual Violence Advisers, and helplines.The College of Policing and the National Policing lead have set the requirement on all forces to train all new and existing police staff including police officers, detectives and specialist investigators to respond to child sexual abuse. In addition, all police forces and the NCA are now connected to the Child Abuse Image Database (CAID). CAID is a national UK policing system that supports law enforcement in the pursuit of offenders involved in the sexual exploitation of children and in safeguarding the victims of this crime.

West Midlands Police: Performance Standards

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the efficiency of West Midlands Police.

Mike Penning: Holding answer received on 26 November 2015



It is the responsibility of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) which is charged in statute with inspecting the efficiency and effectiveness of all police forces in England and Wales. In October 2015 HMIC, rated West Midlands Police as ‘outstanding’ as part of their PEEL Efficiency Inspections.

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the proportion of crimes committed under the influence of alcohol in the last 12 months.

Mike Penning: The Crime Survey for England and Wales from 2013/14 shows that in around half (53%, 704,000 offences) of all violent incidents the victim believed the perpetrator to be under the influence of alcohol. While the volume of incidents has fallen, the proportion of violent incidents that were ‘alcohol-related’ has remained relatively steady over the last ten years.

National Crime Agency: Africa

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to expand the role of the National Crime Agency in (a) West Africa and (b) the Sahel region.

Mike Penning: The National Crime Agency (NCA) engages with a range of overseas partners in the both West Africa and the Sahel Region to tackle serious and organised crime threats to the UK, including drugs trafficking, money laundering, organised immigration crime and child sexual exploitation and abuse. This engagement is subject to continuous review by the NCA and is being expanded to enable the UK to respond to changing or emerging threats such as organised immigration crime. The Prime Minister announced the creation of a new multi-agency Organised Immigration Crime (OIC) Taskforce in June to tackle people smuggling in June and as part of this Taskforce the NCA has expanded its coverage in West Africa from where it also covers the Sahel.

Driving Offences: Mobile Phones

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2015 to Question 15363, what assessments she has made of the capacity of traffic police to enforce fixed-penalty notices for the traffic offences relating to use of mobile telephones.

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2015 to Question 15363, how many drivers incurred a fixed-penalty charge for using a mobile telephone at the wheel in each of the last five years.

Mike Penning: Data on the number of fixed penalty notices issued by the police for using a handheld mobile phone while driving in England and Wales in the last five years is set out below.The enforcement of this offence is an operational matter for individual Chief Officers of police and decisions on the size and composition of a force’s workforce are for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners.Number of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued by police in England and Wales (1) for using a handheld mobile phone while driving, 2010 (2) to 2014:Number (thousands) England and WalesOffence20102011201220132014Use of handheld mobile phone while driving124.7123.192.752.429.7Source: Police Powers and Procedures, year ending March 2015, Home OfficeNotes1. Excludes British Transport Police2. Data for 2010 is not directly comparable with data from 2011 onwards due to the introduction of the PentiP system which records FPNs in England and Wales. Data from 2011 onwards is slightly lower that comparative data from the previous system.

Rendition and Torture: Libya

Mr Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the final file concerning the Metropolitan Police Service investigation known as Operation Lydd has been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Mike Penning: This is a matter for the Metropolitan Police Service and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Employment: Crime

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2015 to Question 14607, what the evidential basis is for the assertion on page 8 of the consultation document, Tackling Exploitation in the Labour Market, published in October 2015, that there has been a shift from abuses of employment regulation.

Karen Bradley: Holding answer received on 26 November 2015



The relevant text in the consultation document is based on Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority’s operational information.

Older People: Crime Prevention

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to raise awareness of financial scams targeting older people.

Mike Penning: The Government takes all types of fraud and financial scams extremely seriously. The Serious and Organised Crime Strategy, published in 2013, places a strong focus on protecting those most at risk. The Home Office has recently completed a research project in order to better understand who in the UK is at risk from fraud and cyber threats, what makes them vulnerable and how to most effectively reach them. This will enable the Home Office and partners to develop ways to better protect the public, for example providing targeted fraud prevention advice.The Home Office also works with the City of London Police, which is the national lead force for fraud, to help all police forces to understand better who is vulnerable to fraud in their areas, and to work with local partners including the voluntary sector to help protect those vulnerable people from the threat from fraud.Action Fraud is the central reporting point for fraud and is operated by the City of London Police. It assesses the vulnerability of victims based on the financial and health impact of the reported fraud, and provides this information to forces. This enables police forces to make targeted interventions with those most at risk. When a serious threat or a new type of fraud is identified, Action Fraud places an alert on its website with advice for individuals to protect themselves from becoming victims. Members of the public can sign up to receive these alerts by email.The Home Office is also working closely with Financial Fraud Action UK and the British Bankers Association who have issued specific advice to consumers on telephone scams. This includes helping consumers know when they may be a target to these fraudsters, and advice on what information should never be shared, e.g. PIN number. In December last year Financial Fraud Action UK and the police announced a joint declaration to help consumers avoid becoming victims of financial fraud.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Saudi Arabia: Terrorism

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the government of Saudi Arabia on the reaffirmation in UN Security Council Resolution 2199 (2015) of 12 February 2015 of its Resolution 1373 (2001) on matters including the prevention and suppression of financing of terrorist acts.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: All UN Member States, including Saudi Arabia, are subject to the terms of UN Security Council Resolutions 2199 and 1373 and the UK consistently calls on all nations to fully implement these in multilateral and bilateral meetings. Saudi Arabia is a member of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force which conducts evaluations of its members to assess compliance with the international standard. A Financial Action Task Force report on terrorist financing published on 16 November 2015 noted that since 2010, Saudi Arabia had achieved the highest number of terrorist financing convictions out of the 33 jurisdictions who had achieved a conviction.

Jerusalem: Evictions

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of continuing evictions of Palestinians from East Jerusalem on prospects for a two-state solution in that region.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We are concerned about recent evictions of Palestinians from Silwan, and the threat of eviction of Palestinian families, from the Old City in Jerusalem. We view any attempts to change the facts on the ground as a serious provocation likely to raise tensions on the ground and cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians, as well as being harmful to the peace process and, of course, in contravention of international law. The UK's remains committed to the achievement of a two-state solution.

Morocco: Western Sahara

Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with the Moroccan ambassador to the UK Morocco's ban on the UN Secretary General's Personal Envoy to the Western Sahara visiting Western Sahara during his visit to that region to facilitate negotiations called for by the UN Security Council.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: With Ambassadors of other members of the Group of Friends of Western Sahara, the British Ambassador to Morocco raised this issue with the Moroccan Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs on 13 November. The Group of Friends welcomed the assurances they received that the Secretary-General's Envoy would not be prevented from visiting Western Sahara.

Ivory Coast: Liberia

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is giving to Côte d'Ivoire to strengthen its border security with Liberia.

James Duddridge: Through our commitment to the UN Peacekeeping Budget, the UK contributed £23 million to the UN Operation in Côte D’Ivoire (UNOCI) and £19.5m to the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) in financial year 2014/2015, both of which help secure the Côte D’Ivoire-Liberia border. The UK has supported UN Security Council Resolutions 2226 and 2239 extending the mandates of both Missions into 2016.Despite incidents early in 2015, neither UN commander has reported any recent security concerns along the border region. We welcome the improved security situation and greater stability in Liberia and Cote D’Ivoire. We expect both governments to assume increased responsibility for the security of their shared border as the two UN missions begin to draw down.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Open University

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of proposed closures to Open University regional centres on the numbers of (a) BAME and (b) disabled students in higher education.

Joseph Johnson: The Open University is an autonomous institution and it is for them to make decisions about how best to structure their workforce and meet the needs of their students. Higher education institutions are responsible for meeting their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

Students: Grants

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what equality impact assessment the Government has undertaken on the implications of the planned abolition of maintenance grants.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed abolition of maintenance grants on the Government's target of doubling the proportion of people from disadvantaged backgrounds entering higher education between 2009 and 2020.

Joseph Johnson: An Equality Analysis has been carried out and will be published alongside the regulations.

STEM Subjects: Postgraduate Education

Ben Howlett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of women completing PhDs in STEM subjects.

Joseph Johnson: The number of female doctorate qualifiers in STEM subjects increased from 5,485 in 2009/10 to 6,300 in 2013/14, an increase of 15%. The total number of doctorate qualifiers in STEM subjects also increased over this period, from 12,830 in 2009/10 to 14,020 in 2013/14, and the proportion of female doctorate qualifiers in STEM subjects who are female increased from 43% to 45%.[i]The Government is committed to developing a strong, diverse research community. The Research Councils and National Academies share this commitment. We are taking steps to encourage greater representation of women in STEM subjects at university and in the academic community through the establishment of a Diversity Steering Group and support for such initiatives as the Athena SWAN charter which promotes gender equality in academia.[i] Higher Education Statistics Agency: Number of Doctorate Qualifiers in STEM subjects by Gender. (Academic Years 2009/10 to 2013/14). Excel spreadsheet is attached to this PQ. 



Doctorate Qualifiers in STEM Subjects by Gender
(Excel SpreadSheet, 34.5 KB)

Students: Grants

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect on the RAB charge of the planned replacement of maintenance grants with means-tested loans.

Joseph Johnson: The current estimate of the RAB charge is published on the Gov.uk website (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/simplified-student-loan-repayment-model).This estimate will be updated in Summer 2016, alongside publication of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills accounts.

Science

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he has made an assessment of the effect of the Government's Strategy for UK Life Sciences, published in December 2011, on the UK life sciences sector.

George Freeman: The UK has one of the strongest and most productive life sciences industries in the world, generating turnover of over £56 billion per annum and ranking top in major European economies for health life sciences foreign direct investment projects.Since the launch of the Governments Life Science Strategy in 2011, the Government has invested almost £1billion in health and life sciences and has attracted over £3.5 billion of private sector investment to the UK, making us the leading European destination for life science fundraising.Our ambition is to maximise the UK’s strengths in science and research to accelerate the development and adoption of 21st Century health science technology, delivering the best health outcomes and increasing wider growth and prosperity.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Sustainable Development

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how her Department is contributing to the co-ordination of work across Government to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Justine Greening: The UK welcomes, and is committed to championing, the Sustainable Development Goals. Through our commitment to global development, and by honouring our 0.7% aid commitments, we will play a key role in helping countries to achieve these goals – especially on eradicating extreme poverty, hunger and disease. This will be a cross-government effort, with DFID and other Departments contributing to the successful implementation of the Goals, both internationally and here in the UK.

Department for Education

Pupil Premium

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of how effectively pupil premium funding is used by schools to support disadvantaged highly-able pupils.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The department recently published ‘Supporting the Attainment of Disadvantaged Pupils: Articulating Success and Good Practice’[1]. This is independent research on the effective use of the pupil premium, carried out by National Foundation for Educational Research.On the basis of this report, the department published ‘Supporting the attainment of disadvantaged pupils: briefing for school leaders’[2], which reinforces the importance of supporting more able disadvantaged pupils to meet their potential.[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/473974/DFE-RR411_Supporting_the_attainment_of_disadvantaged_pupils.pdf.[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/473976/DFE-RS411_Supporting_the_attainment_of_disadvantaged_pupils_-_briefing_for_school_leaders.pdf

Pupil Premium

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will amend how the pupil premium is paid in order to reward schools that consistently improve results for all pupils while narrowing the attainment gap.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will ensure that the terms of pupil premium are weighted towards pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds with prior high attainment.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We have no plans to change the basis on which the pupil premium is distributed to schools. Our school reforms are intended to deliver educational excellence everywhere so that every child, regardless of background, reaches their potential. This includes the new ‘progress 8’ performance measure for secondary schools, so that schools are recognised for the improved achievement of every child.

Higher Education: Admissions

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that schools facilitate highly-able pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds accessing the best universities.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Widening participation in higher education (HE) is a priority for this government, building on the real progress being made in the last 5 years. In England the entry rates for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds were at record levels in 2014, rising from 13.6 per cent in 2009 to 18.2 per cent in 2014. Applications from this group also reached a record high in 2015, with the latest data showing a 21 per cent application rate. As set out in the Green Paper on Higher Education, published on 6 November, this government has set a goal to double the proportion of people from disadvantaged backgrounds entering HE by the end of this Parliament from 2009 levels. Schools have a critical role in delivering on this commitment.We have introduced compulsory study of the key English Baccalaureate subjects to make sure more pupils get the rigorous academic education they need to succeed in getting a place at university.We are also committed to continuing the pupil premium, protected at current rates, so that pupils from the poorest backgrounds get the help they need, including the most able.Work is underway to implement collaborative national networks that will provide single points of contact to help teachers and advisers to find out about HE outreach activity in their area, and give general advice about progression to HE. A total of £22 million is being provided in 2014-16, and 35 networks will cover schools across England.

Ministry of Justice

Sexual Offences: Alcoholic Drinks

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many sexual offences in which the offender was under the influence of alcohol were recorded in each of the last five years.

Andrew Selous: The information requested is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions

State Retirement Pensions

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2015 to Question 14680, on state retirement pensions, how many non-live cases there have been in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2015 to Question 14680, on state retirement pensions, how many of those cases have been suspended in each of the last three years.

Justin Tomlinson: The requested information as of September 2012, 2013 and 2014 is within the table below.Number of non live cases for SP claimants aged 100 and overNumber of non-live cases…Sep-12Sep-13Sep-14…of which number not suspended10,50010,50011,100…of which number suspended9001,0001,000Source:DWP 5% dataNotes:1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

Employment and Support Allowance

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of new claimants of employment and support allowances who will be placed in the work-related activity group from April 2017 to May 2020; and whether he has made an estimate of the number of those claimants who will be people with cancer.

Priti Patel: Information regarding the number of new claimants who will be placed in the work related activity or limited capability for work groups can be found in the following table, for each of the financial years in the time period requested :2017/182018/192019/202020/21Total work related activity or limited capability for work group decisions from new claims to ESA or UC100,000100,000100,000100,000Figures are consistent with the Autumn Statement 2015 forecasts, which do not separate out ESA and UC.We do not hold estimates on the number of claimants we expect with specific conditions.

Employment: Disability

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial and advisory assistance his Department offers to businesses to encourage them to employ, train and support people with physical and learning disabilities.

Justin Tomlinson: The Government’s award-winning Disability Confident campaign continues to work with employers to raise awareness of the business benefits of employing disabled people. It offers information and guidance to support employers in becoming more confident when attracting, recruiting and retaining disabled people and signposts further resources.We also deliver a number of programmes and initiatives that have successfully supported disabled people to find employment and which can also engage with and encourage employers, such as Access to Work (ATW), which provides a grant for support that is over and above the kinds of reasonable adjustment that employers have a duty to provide and Specialist Employability Support (SES).The Hidden Impairment National Group (HING) has made its Hidden Impairment Toolkit publically available to employers, providers, support organisations and other government departments. This Toolkit helps employers to support and employ individuals with Hidden Impairments such as learning disabilities, autism, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his policy is on people who receive disability benefits being able to volunteer without it affecting their entitlement to those benefits.

Justin Tomlinson: Claimants of Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment are free to do paid or unpaid work or volunteering without losing entitlement to their benefit, so long as they continue to meet the entitlement conditions.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Habitual Residence Test

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to amend the three month rule for the habitual residence test to allow access to income based jobseeker's allowance for UK nationals returning to the UK after a period away who have retained financial commitments at home.

Priti Patel: It has always been the case that any UK national who returns to this country after an extended period must demonstrate they are habitually resident to be eligible for income-related benefits. Since 1 January 2014, most jobseekers must also have been living in the UK for three months before any consideration can be given to whether they are habitually resident to be eligible to receive income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.Regulations were amended from 9 November 2014 to exempt from the three month residence requirement members of the Armed Forces and Crown servants who were serving abroad and others who had paid certain types of UK national insurance contributions during their absence abroad. We have no plans to introduce further exemptions from the three month requirement.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Livestock: Prices

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the disparity between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK in the price farmers are able to achieve when selling livestock.

George Eustice: We are part of a single market across Europe and as such we should not dictate what a fair price is for farmers and consumers. We support the farming industry by reducing red tape, funding research to foster innovation, extending the tax averaging period for self-employed farmers and working to open up new export markets.In recognition of the difficulties faced by Northern Irish dairy farmers, the UK government pressed for additional money to be paid to Northern Irish dairy producers as part of the support payments. 71% of Northern Irish dairy farmers have now received their payment.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Local Government: West Midlands

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when legislative provision will be made for the (a) establishment of the role of metro mayor for the West Midlands Combined Authority, (b) cancellation of the Police and Crime Commissioner election in the West Midlands and (c) establishment of the West Midlands Combined Authority.

James Wharton: As stated in the devolution deal agreement which my rt Hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 17 November 2015, we intend the first election for a West Midlands metro mayor to be held in May 2017, subject to the passage of the necessary legislation through Parliament.As that agreement also explains, there will be local consideration of the appropriate relationship between the functions of a mayor and the police and crime commissioner role; at this stage there has been no decision to transfer police and crime commissioner functions to an elected Mayor for the West Midlands and there are no plans to cancel the 2016 police and crime commissioner election in the West Midlands.As to the establishment of the West Midlands Combined Authority, we are currently considering the governance review and scheme for a combined authority which the West Midlands councils published in October 2015, before undertaking any statutory consultation on establishing that Authority, as required by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.

Local Government Finance: Sefton

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what revenue contribution the Government has made to Sefton Council for the support of services in each of the last five years.

Mr Marcus Jones: This information for the years 2011-12 to 2014-15 is already publicly available as part of Sefton Council’s annual Statement of Accounts, published on their website: https://www.sefton.gov.uk/your-council/open-data,-transparency-and-foi/council-budget-and-spending.aspxFor 2015-16, the Local Government Finance Settlement for England was agreed by Parliament on 10 February 2015. Further details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/final-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2015-to-2016My Department does not hold a list of all grant allocations to local authorities over the current financial year, many of which are provided by other Departments. Sefton Council will release this information as part of their Statement of Accounts for 2015/16.

HM Treasury

Revenue and Customs: Yorkshire and the Humber

Philip Davies: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consultation HM Revenue and Customs conducted with its staff based in Yorkshire prior to its decision to locate its regional hub in Leeds.

Philip Davies: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what factors were considered by HM Revenue and Customs when making its decision to locate its regional hub in Leeds rather than Bradford.

Philip Davies: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative economic assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of HM Revenue and Customs locating its regional hub in (a) Leeds and (b) Bradford; and if he will place a copy of that assessment in the Library.

Philip Davies: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment he has made of the costs of HM Revenue and Customs locating its regional hub in (a) Leeds and (b) Bradford.

Philip Davies: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which potential sites HM Revenue and Customs identified in Leeds for its regional hub.

Philip Davies: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many meetings HM Revenue and Customs held with (a) Leeds and (b) Bradford Council on deciding the location for its regional hub.

Philip Davies: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on the local economy of the closure of the HM Revenue and Customs office in Shipley; and if he will place a copy of that assessment in the Library.

Mr David Gauke: On 12 November, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced the next stage of its ten-year modernisation programme. As part of that, the department demonstrated its long-term commitment to Yorkshire and the Humber by setting out that it would establish a Regional Centre in Leeds.A number of factors were considered by HMRC when deciding where to locate its new Regional Centres. In addition to cost, it considered local and national transport links, the local labour market, supply of future workforce and the retention of current staff and skills.HMRC modelled the impact of locating the Regional Centre for Yorkshire and the Humber in both Bradford and Leeds. For both scenarios, it took into account the potential loss of jobs for staff expected to be outside of reasonable daily travel (defined as approximately 1 hour from home to work, though dependent on individual circumstances).HMRC first shared its transformation plans with its employees 18 months ago. Since then has held more than 2,000 events across the UK, setting out how and why it is changing. The department is committed to continuing to support all of its employees who are affected by these changes.Staff in Yorkshire attended a number of face-to-face events, providing feedback on the potential location of the regional centre. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their personal circumstances in one-to-one meetings with their manager.This transformation programme will ultimately enable HMRC to deliver better public services at lower cost to the taxpayer. It will generate estate savings of £100 million a year by 2025.

Women and Equalities

Females: Directors

Ben Howlett: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent assessment she has made on progress towards the target of 25 per cent female representation on FTSE 100 corporate boards by 2015.

Caroline Dinenage: Women now make up 26.1 per cent of directors on the boards of FTSE 100 companies. This exceeds the Lord Davies target of 25 per cent. We have no more all male boards in the FTSE 100 and more women on FTSE 350 boards than ever before.